because while some truths lend themselves to equations, others are best described in verse

lunera

the young moon is
strung up
above the river looking
like a pale imitation
of herself,
a soul-thief who
gypsy dances
her way though mid-
winter madrugadas seducing
me to desperation
with silken slipknots
hung
between each
shadowed star.

You can find the original version in Spanish here. I’ve kept a few words that just didn’t give the same feel in English: madrugadas are early mornings— think partying-all-night-till-three-or-four-a.m. early. Lunera itself comes from “moon,” but, well… two WordReference sites, a handful of language forums, Google translator and a Guatemalan boyfriend all failed me in finding a direct translation. (Thanks anyway, Omar. ;)) The sense of it, though, for me, is making the moon “personal,” i.e. addressing it more as a person and less as a far distant chunk of rock. And it definitely has something to do with a lullaby. ~jsl

I think “a el alma” should be “al alma.” You are correct about el alma, masculino.
As for bailando gitano, I’m not sure that conveys gypsy-dancing to me, in where gypsy acts as a modifier or noun-adjunct. I don’t know how to say it in Spanish. Una danza gitana? Bailando como gitano? gitanesca?

Thanks, Ray. I think it’s a matter of style and/or rhythm rather than rule whether or not you contract “a” and “el”; having said that, when the piece is spoken one tends to make the elision anyway, so it makes more sense to write it, I guess. Think I’m gonna go ahead and make that change.

I agree that “bailando gitano” reads a little awkward; I can’t think of an adverb to describe “gypsy” and other options are too long-winded for what I want. But hell, I use improper modifiers in English fairly willy-nilly under the umbrella of poetic license; why not in Spanish too? 🙂

Has a certain feel of a life incomplete, or waiting for something (the re-birth of Spring perhaps?) to happen–the moon is “young” and only an imitation of itself. The pacing is excellent, the imagery sharp and clear. Very well-built and visual work.

Beautiful and unique ways of describing a well described object. The melody and imagery is haunting. Liked esp. “a soul-thief who
gypsy dances her way though mid-winter madrugadas” Well done. Gay @beachanny